Poppy Reagan is a Type A personality
who runs her professional life with the precision of a Swiss watch. After
catching her latest boyfriend cheating, she decides it’s time to take her
dating life as seriously as she does her business. She swears off the bad boys
and strategically maps out a plan to find an honest, attractive man to become
her life partner.

As she works her way through a summer of dates ranging from crazy to plain
boring, she begins to wonder if her soulmate’s even on the same coast. Her
foolish emotional spirit secretly yearns for the sexy Ohio dermatologist she
met on a trip to Hawaii last year. The one who she insists is “just a friend,”
because she refused to engage in a long-distance relationship.

Will her heart overrule her head and move this California girl to the Midwest?

Planning for Love is
a 2016 InD'tale RONE Finalist in the Chick Lit Category

“Probably
so. I’m not much on technology. My phone is four years old and I’m told it’s
considered a dinosaur. So, how have the computer dates been going?”

I
stared at the green lip on the coffee cup. “I’ve just started.”

He
snorted, “That well?”

I
allowed the silence to speak for me.

“Sorry.
I’m not usually such a jerk. I’m out of my element.”

“What
is your element?”

His
eyes narrowed and his jaw muscles worked. “You like adventure?”

I
lifted a shoulder. “Sure. Who doesn’t like an adventure?”

“You
have anywhere you need to be in the next, say…” he studied his watch, “three
hours?”

My
curiosity piqued. “Three hours? Not in particular.”

He
ducked under the table to glance at my crossed legs. “You wouldn’t happen to
carry a pair of boots or tennis shoes in your car?”

“I have
a gym bag. Yoga pants, T-shirt, sweatshirt, shoes, socks.” I rattled off,
listing each one by finger.

“A well
prepared woman, I love it.” He rose and held out his hand. “C’mon, let’s get
your stuff.”

“I need
gym gear for a three hour breakfast?”

“That’s
right, I promised you breakfast. Wait here.”

Campbell
sauntered over to the counter and perused the glass case of pastries. He
exchanged conversation with the barista behind the counter and pointed to
different confections, and I turned back to the table to gather my materials.

“All
set.” He held the bag aloft.

I rose,
shouldering my tote and grasping my coffee like a lifeline.

What the hell am I doing?

It’s an adventure; you said you were
up for an adventure.

Yes, but I hardly know this guy.

Just go with it.

As my
subconscious argued with itself, Cambell held the door for me. “Where’s your car?”

“I
lucked out. Street parking, around the corner.”

“That’s
me, right there.” He indicated a black four door jeep with a hard top, big
knobby wheels and splashes of dirt fanned along the sides.

My head
moved from side to side. “I don’t think so. I’d feel more comfortable if I
followed you.”

“It’s
about forty-five minutes away.”

“So.”

“Fine,”
he sighed. “We’ll take your car.”

“Hold
up,” I placed a hand on his chest. “I’m not getting in a car alone with a
stranger.”

A light
bulb went on. “Ah. I see. Did you read this in a dating handbook? You’re right.
You shouldn’t get into a car with a stranger, except, I’m not a stranger. We
were introduced through mutual friends.”

“First,
Erika and Neil, though very nice people, are not my friends. They’re clients,
and I’ve only known them a few days. Second, you’re much larger and stronger
than me. It wouldn’t take much to overpower me, steal my car, and leave me
stranded along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.”

“Hey, I
offered to drive.” He ran his hand through his hair, tucking it behind his
ears.

I
frowned.

“Okay,
okay. I get it. Here’s what we’re gonna to do. Who’s on speed dial on your
phone?”

“Why
does that matter.”

He
rolled his eyes and sighed, “Work with me. Who’s on speed dial?”

“Office
co-workers, best friends, my mom…”

“Who’s
expecting to see you soon?”

“That
would be either Sierra my assistant, or Cody an account manager.”

“Call
one of them, and tell her you’re going to Malibu for an adventure. Then take a
photo of me and text it to her. Tell her if she doesn’t hear from you in three
hours to call the police and turn me in.”

“Hmm…it’s
a thought.”

“Here,”
he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, deftly flicking it open.

I
sucked in a breath.

He laid
the sharp end in his palm and offered the handle to me. “You can hold onto this
for security. If I make any false moves you have my permission to gut me with
it.”

A
passerby eyed the knife and scuttled quickly through a neighboring shop door.

“Oh,
for the love of Pete. Put that thing away,” I hissed. “We’ll do the photo
thing. Say cheese.” I held up my phone and clicked a photo.

Ellen
Butler is an award winning
novelist living in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. She holds a Master’s
Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a long
list of writing and editing for dry but illuminating professional newsletters,
and windy papers on public policy. The leap to novel writing was simply a
creative outlet for Ellen’s over active and romantic imagination to run wild.
She is an admitted chocoholic and confesses to a penchant for shoe shopping

Planning
for Love won The
Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award for Romantic Comedy and you can find the
entire Love, California Style trilogy on Amazon and other
major eBook retailers. Book club questions for Ellen’s novels can be found on
her website.